Central South Dakota is a bird hunter heaven. The thunder of beating wings brings a flush of adrenaline like no other for the hunters who pursue the greater prairie chicken, sharp-tailed grouse, and ringneck pheasant.
In this vast ocean of prairie grasses live the greater prairie chicken, the sharptail grouse, and the ringneck pheasant. All are birds that offer some of the most challenging wing shooting in North America. A great hunting dog and an incredible horse with a comfortable saddle are priceless companions for finding birds.
The prairie grouse offers the thrill of hunting at its best, in an area largely unchanged since the bison, elk, wolves, and mountain lions roamed the prairie. As you travel the short grass, the feeling of history and tranquility brings a sense of fulfillment like no other.
Hunting with Tinker Kennels, LLC and The Rocking Horses Hunt Club is a step back into history, a hundred years or more to the time when sharptails and prairie chickens were the great game birds of the American grasslands. The Rocking Horses Hunt Club is unique in offering specialized horseback hunting for chickens and sharptails, following big running English setters while riding smooth cruising Tennessee walkers.
We invite our hunters to bring their own dogs on the hunt for an unparalleled opportunity. Your dogs and our dogs will provide an outstanding bird-dog hunting experience in perfect coordination of hunter, dog and game bird.
A horseback hunt is work. Not really. It is just plain fun. However, it is physically demanding. Our dogs are well trained and our horses are perfect gentlemen. That being said, you will burn an easy 200 calories per hour when you are riding. More when Jeff makes you get off the horse and stomp for the birds. If you don't ride on a regular basis, no amount of saddle padding is going to save your tired muscles. The best part is, the tired muscles will be ones you didn't even know you had. What we're getting at is that while this is an experience of the grandest, you might be feeling it when we're done.